Warning: Spoilers ahead forRick and Mortyseason 8, episode 7.
James Gunn’s self-deprecating cameo as himself inRick and Mortyseason 8 couldn’t have been timed better.Rick and Mortyseason 8, episode 7, “Ricker Than Fiction,” pokes fun at impossible-to-please fans who think they could do a better job with their favorite franchises, as Rick and Morty set out to rewrite Gunn’s latest movie about superpowered trees.
Gunn plays himself in the episode, satirizing movie studios who want to incorporate generative A.I. into the filmmaking process. When Rick invents the Movie-lizer, a device that churns out movies based on prompts, Gunn becomes hellbent on stealing it and exploiting it for his own Warner Bros. productions. Gunn was game for every self-parodying gag in the episode.
Gunn was the perfect choice for this, because he’s not only a famous filmmaker; he’s also a studio head. A couple of years ago, Gunn was hired to co-run DC Studios with his producing partner, Peter Safran. Since DC Studios is about to release its first movie,Gunn’sRick and Mortycameocouldn’t have been more perfectly timed.
James Gunn Appeared On Rick & Morty To Parody His Franchise Filmmaking Just Days Before He Launches The DCU
Superman Is Hitting The Big Screen The Same Week Gunn Guest-Starred On Rick & Morty
Gunn’sRick and Mortycameo was perfectly timed, becauseit aired the same week that Gunn is launching his rebooted DC Universewiththe release ofSuperman. Gunn’s role in the show is to make fun of movie studios that keep exploiting their familiar I.P. for endless sequels with diminishing returns.
Rick and Mortyairs new episodes on Adult Swim every Sunday.
The episode makes fun of the formulaic story structure and underdeveloped characters of these sequels, as well as toxic fans who will never be pleased no matter what happens in them.In the episode, Gunn’s neverending franchise is calledMaximum Velocitree, a ridiculous story about superhero trees, but in real life, it’s the DCU.
Gunn poked fun at his approach to franchise filmmaking just days before he’s set to launch a whole new franchise that’s hoping to go on for as long as Maximum Velocitree.
BothRick and Mortyand the DCU are owned by the same parent company, and this was a brilliantly outside-the-box way to use the former to market the latter. Gunn poked fun at his approach to franchise filmmaking just days before he’s set to launch a whole new franchise that’s hoping to go on for as long asMaximum Velocitree.
Gunn’s Self-Deprecating Rick & Morty Cameo Proves DC Studios Is In Safe Hands
The Problem With The Last DC Cinematic Universe Is That It Took Itself Too Seriously
Gunn’s self-parodying guest role inRick and Mortyproves that he’s the perfect person to manage the new DC Universe. The problem with the last DC cinematic universe, pioneered byGunn’sRick and Mortyco-star Zack Snyder, is that it took itself too seriously. ButGunn clearly doesn’t have that problem — he doesn’t even take himself too seriously.
Rick and Morty
Cast
Rick and Morty is an animated science fiction series that follows the eccentric scientist Rick Sanchez and his impressionable grandson Morty Smith as they embark on perilous adventures across space and alternate dimensions. The show explores the impact of these exploits on Morty’s tumultuous family life and personal challenges.
